Croissant Class 101

Don’t these look amazing!! Well they are !! I had the honor of taking a class on French croissants at:

Maison Robert Fine Chocolates

5256 Peachtree Road 

Suite 110

Atlanta, Georgia 30341

 

I have taken so many classes over the years oh my I think my first classes were with Riches cooking school and the teacher was Nathalie Dupree…now wow that was so long ago. I have taken over 96 classes at Kitchen Fare for those old Atlantan’s that remember that place. Scott Peacock use to teach there when he was over at the Governors mansion years and years ago. I did love his classes he was fun and such a character and a wonderful southern cook.  I have even taken classes at Le Cordon Blue in Paris just for the fun. I love to expand my knowledge in cooking and baking. I have taken them on so many different subjects and all kinds of food. Some of the classes are simply amazing and some I know a great deal more than the instructor …which is not good. Since I have been doing this for so long and have taken so many classes it seems to be more and more every place I go I am disappointed.

I love to go to Maisons just to get goodies when I am in the area and they said we have some classes ? huh I thought really I said to myself so I signed up and DANG they were amazing classes ~ I learned so much I did not know. They are so nice and helpful it is just like you are a part of their family…you will love them!! Go take one of their classes, they have several different classes they offer and they are so knowledgeable and so helpful! I was so impressed with the classes. There is a lot of work and time that is put into each class and it shows. Tell them I sent you.

Croissants

Measuring Dry Ingredients out by weight ~ 1lb + 2oz all-pur flour

1 pound 2 oz unsalted butter cut in 2 and lay out on parchment paperroll out 1/2 inch or so thick ~ 10×10 ~ mashing, banging keep working until required size mashing ~ bangingshould be nice and flat and 10 X 10 square ~ put in refrigerator Dry Ingredients

1lb + 2oz all-pur flour

1 oz milk powder

1.5 oz sugar  

1 teaspoon salt

.50 oz yeast

 

Mix all dry ingredients well

 

These are the steps in a quick format and then below each step in great detail with photo supporting each. 

1. make dough
2. add butter
3. single turn
4. double turn
5. refrigerator  
6. single turn
7. refrigerator
8. single turn 
9. single turn
10. refrigerator
11. roll out ~ cut into triangles 
12. refrigerator 
13. roll triangles into finished shape
14. proof
15. egg wash 
16. bake

1 cup of warm water not over 110 degrees have extra flour ready for flouring surface and doughadd  3 oz of eggs at room temperature to your dry mixture making sureto put in center of flour/dry ingredients adding most of the warm water mix by hand ~ this dough will be really sticky add water if needed

mix dough until nice and smooth ~ adding water if neededflour board welladd dough to the floured board making sure to get all dough from bowlflour top of dough well

spread in flat squarestarting from the middle of the dough roll up ~ then start again in the middle of the dough and roll downdoing your best to keep in a square shape roll up and down ~ starting each time in the middle, then across side to side once it is correct size 1/8 inch thick ~22X15 inches + or – a little

brush extra flour off doughadd your butter 10×10 square at this time, putting the butter in center of the dough

fold over the top  brush extra flour offfold bottom up and  brush extra flour offfold over side ~ brush extra flour off fold over last side ~ make sure under your dough there is enough flour you do not want your dough to stick to the board. You are making a package covering your butter completely with the dough. roll ~ start in middle working your way out turn and roll other way ~ starting from the middle and outturn and roll ~ Turn and rollkeep turning and rolling, making sure to start in middle then to ends each time roll up ~ down then side  to   sideroll until your dough is about 1/2 inch thick ~ 1/2 thumb nail thick time to fold ~ 1st a single fold ~ like a letter fold one side brush then fold the other side over
turn  ~ then start rolling againrolling from middle to the end keeping your shape   rolling up ~ middle ~ down then ~  middle side ~ middle other sidethis time double turn foldfold 3/4 almost brush then fold the 1/4 over once that is done you will fold again into 1/2this time fold in half Roll out a little until it is a small square put on a baking pan sheet and cover with plastic wrap.put in refrigerator for at least 1  1/2 hours ~ 2 hours  flour board well ~ get dough from refrigerator ~ roll out same way this time do a single turn foldover night in refrigerator ~ covered in plastic wrap well ~ so not to dry outnext day ~ put dough on a well floured boardthe dough should be nice and soft, flour before rolling roll from middle 1st to end  there will air in dough pops~this is okaystart in middle then other side ~ middle side ~ middle other sideroll out up then down ~ still starting in the middle each time roll side to side once you have your dough 1/4 ~ 1/8 inch thicknessbrush flour off and this time it is a single turn fold ~ fold in 1/2folding over completing a single foldroll out again make sure you have enough flour on board so dough will not stickturn and rolling out to the same thickness trying to keep nice and square single turn fold this time completing the single foldyou will need a brush and a yard stickSee how many layers with each fold you have created these are going to be great! rolling the same as before starting in the middle wanting 13 1/2 inches wide it will end up being about 29 inches long. Marking your dough so you will be able to cut it evenly.brush all excess flour off your doughcut in strips using yard stick to keep nice and straight ~ sharp knife is a must here!cut off extra filp one on the other, trimming to make nice and even cut strips into 6.5 inches wide ~ 29 inches long ~

triangles are about 3.5 inches – 4 inches at top and weighing about 1.5 oz each   cut all the way down the dough

cutting each all the way down the strip

put back on sheet pan cover and let rest 20 minutes to one hour take triangels roll stretch end outrolling making longercurl in a moon shapedo not put to manyspace out nicely cover and proofproofing once proofing is complete which should they should be double in size  brush with egg wash ~ egg beaten with a little water 

Bake at 375 regular oven and 34o convection and eat….yummy!!

Aren’t they beautiful !!!  Thanks Robert and Katia for such an amazing class. I will see you there either learning something new or eating something yummy!